But behind the chuckles, the “Deadpool” star lives with a more sobering reality: the daunting effects of anxiety.

Reynolds has opened up about living with nervousnes before. But in a new interview with The New York Times, the actor shed even more light on what he’s experienced living with the mental health condition and how he copes with its from time to time devastating hold.

“Both in the lighthearted, ‘I’m anxious about this, ‘ kind of thing, ‘” he continued, “and I’ve been to the depths of the darker aim of the spectrum, which is not fun.”

Reynolds isn’t alone at the darker end of that spectrum. About 18.1% of adults in the U.S. — 40 million people — live with an nervousnes disorder, in agreement with the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. The organization reports it’s the most common sort of mental illness in the country.

Though occasional bouts of nervousnes are a normal part of being human, the Mayo Clinic notes that “people with nervousnes ailments often have intense, excessive, and persistent fret and anxiety about everyday situations.”

Reynolds believes his anxiety stems, at least in part, from his childhood in Vancouver, Canada. ” Our father was tough, ” he told Variety in 2016:

“He wasn’t easy on anyone. And he wasn’t easy on himself. I believe the nervousnes might have started there, trying to find ways to control others by trying to control myself. At the time, I never recognized that. I was just a twitchy kid.”

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/ Getty Images.

As an adult, he said his anxiety has shown in many ways. He used to wake up in the dead of night, gripped with irrational anxiety over his future. When he starred on the ABC sitcom “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place” two decades ago, he’d often warm-up the live studio audience — not to selflessly loosen up fans, but to re-focus “the energy of just wanting to throw up, ” he told The New York Times.

The actor can recollect self-medicating in his early 20 s as an attempt to avoid the symptoms associated with nervousnes, telling, “I was partying and just trying to stimulate myself vanish in some way.”

Reynolds schemes on doing many of his upcoming “Deadpool 2” promo interviews in character — not to get laughs, he explained, but to temper his anxiety.

Even after decades in the spotlight, the actor’s anxiety elicits a unique kind of dreaded before interviews and talk indicate appearances. Imitating Deadpool’s sardonic stage presence helps him feel a bit more comfortable.

“When the drapery opens, I turn on this knucklehead, and he kind of takes over and goes away again once I walk off defined, ” he told the Times. “That’s that great self-defense mechanism. I figure if you’re going to jump off a cliff, you might as well fly.”

Reynolds also utilizes a meditation app, Headspace, to stay calm and — after years of living with anxiety — confidently reminds himself ahead of appearances that the awful impressions will soon pass.

If you’re in Reynolds’ boat, there’s no need to feel helpless . Everyone’s anxiety is different, so there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy, but the Mayo Clinic has some advice for those living with its effects: Take part in activities you enjoy, avoid narcotics or alcohol( who are capable of worsen symptoms ), and consider reaching out for help from a medical professional.